Bumper obstacle for ball rolling games



Oct. 22. 1940. D. E. HOOKER BUMPER OBSTACLE FOR BALL ROLLING GAMES Filed May 16, 1939 r 8 12 gl 5 51, j0rzaZcZ51 00/%er F W I II j wenfio?" Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Donald E. Hooker, Chicago, IlL, minor to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, 111.

Application May 16, 1939, Serial No. 273,951

6 Claims.

The invention relates to an improved bumper contact switch obstacle for use with ball rolling games.

These games usually comprise a cabinet containing a table sloped slightly from the horizontal so that a ball propelled to the high end thereof may gravitationally roll over the surface of the table to the low end thereof. In scattered relation, as desired, said surface is provided with obstacles to be engaged by the rolling ball, for scoring purposes. Sometimes these obstacles comprise normally open contact switches disposed in an electrical circuit with an electromagnetic device to operate a score counter or indicator when a ball engages and closes the switch. It is to the latter type of switch obstacle that the present invention particularly appertains.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved obstacle for ball rolling games.

Another object is to provide an improved obstacle of the bumper contact switch type.

Still another object is to provide an obstacle of the kind stated, embodying improved circuit closing means.

It is also an object to provide such an obstacle which can be illuminated.

Other important objects will become apparent to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

These desirable objects may be attained in a ball rolling game of the pin ball type by providing obstacles on the game table, each of hollow, ornamental form and preferably made of translucent, non-conductor material so that an electric lamp may be carried inside the same in an effective manner. The obstacle includes a. sleeve part fitted into a hole in the table and has an upper ornamental top portion in an exposed posi- 0 tion above the table. Said sleeve part carries, at

a level slightly above the table, a lower conductor ring in circuit with a source of electrical energy. Above said ring and spaced therefrom, is a similar upper conductor ring also in said circuit. A lamp is in the same circuit and is suitably supported within the obstacle member Lying loosely on the lower conductor ring by gravity is a relatively large disk made of conductor material and so positioned over the table that when a rolling ball engages and rolls onto the edge of the said disk, it is caused to be tipped so that a portion thereof will engage the upper ring. Thus the disk ring acts as a conductor connector between the lower and upper rings momentarily to close the circuit, whereby. to illuminate the lamp within the obstacle and also to energize an electromagnetic device disposed in said circuit for operating a scoring means.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating a practicable example of the inven- 5 tion:

Figure 1 is a general plan view of a ball rolling game, showing the improved obstacle members positioned thereon;

Figure 2 is a general, central sectional view on 10 an enlarged scale, through one of the obstacle members, taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the indicated direction, said view also including a typical wiring diagram; and,

Figure 3 is a general, enlarged, perspective view 15 to illustrate the general structure and ornamental appearance'of the improved obstacle.

For the sake of illustration, a pin ball type of game is shown in Figure 1, having a cabinet Hi, carrying a table H which is sloped slightly from 20 the horizontal with its lower end adjacent the front wall I2 of the cabinet. Said front wall carries the usual coin release slide i3 and a ball projector M. The low end of the table I I carries a plate i5 having slanting edges to cause a spent 25 ball rolling down the table to come to rest in the. usual out pocket IS. The piece l5 includes an elongated extension wall I! providing a ball pro- Jection passageway i8 and the upper end of the table II carries an arch plate presenting a ball 3 guide edge i9 so that a ball sent by the projector hi through the passageway l8 will roll along the edge l9 and engage a rebound stop member 20. From the member 20 the ball rebounds and then gravitationally rolls down the table to the 35 low end thereof and finally into the pocket it, all in a manner well known in this art.

As the ball rolls down the table it should, if skillfully projected, engage one or more scoring obstacles placed in scattered relation over the 40 surface of the table. Such obstacles which form the subject matter of this invention are generally shown at 2! in Figure 1 and since they are all alike, one thereof is shown specifically in Figures 2 and 3 and will now be described in detail.

Each obstacle comprises preferably an integral member having a tubular sleeve portion 22 and a head portion 23 of enlarged size with an annular flange 24 separating these portions to provide an annular shoulder 25. The member described is 50 hollow and preferably made of a non-conductor, molded plastic material having the characteristic of translucence. This member has its sleeve portion 22 fitted down into an opening formed in the table II to mount same in a generally up- 66 has fitted thereinto a support 26 for mounting an electric lamp 2! connected by a wire 28 with a source of electrical energy 29.

A wire till leads from the source 29 to one side of an electromagnetic device 3! used when energized to operate a suitable scoring means not shown. From the device 3! a wire 32 is led to the inside of the sleeve 22, thence through the sleeve and into metallic contact with a lower conductor ring 33 tightly encircling the sleeve 22 at about the top surface of the table ii, the upper edge of said ring being disposed at a level slightly above said table surface as, shown in Figure 2. Resting gravitationally and loosely on said ring 33 is a thin, flexible, enlarged circular conductor disk 3% positioned at such slight level above the table surface that a rolling ball hitting same may roll onto its periphery and bump the head 23, at the same time tipping or upwardly cocking the opposite side of the disk momentarily.

Spaced a suitable distance above the normal position of rest on the ring 33 of the disk 3 is an upper conductor ring 35 held suitably in position against the shoulder 25 and surrounding the sleeve portion 22 of the bumper memberfii. A wire 36 is in metallic conductor contact with said upper ring 35 and with the lamp 21 as clearly shown in Figure 2. This completes the description of the details of construction involved.

In use, one or more of'the bumper assemblies ii is positioned on the table. By gravity the conductor disk 36 rests on the lower ring 33 out oi contact with the upper ring 35,. In such position of the disk 3 the circuit disclosed is open and the lamp and device 3B are deenergized. When a ball rolling on the table it engages and rolls onto the edge of the disk 35, the weight of the ball causes said disk 36 to tip or cock so that one point thereof at least will engage the upper ring 35 and metallically, conductorwise, bridge the space or gap between the rings 33 and 35 to cause current momentarily to flow, whereupon the lamp 2? is lighted and the device 3! becomes energized and operative for the desired purposes.

It can now be seen that an improved bumper type of obstacle switch has been provided in accordance with the objects of the invention heretofore recited.

The intention is to cover all changes and modifications not departing from the spirit and' scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For a call 'rolling game having a substan-' tially horizontal table, an obstacle positioned thereon including an upright portion of nonconductor material, spaced lower and upper stationary conductor members. disposed circumferentially of the said upright portion in proximity to the top surface of the table and disposed in an electrical. circuit, and a loosely positioned conductor element disposed between said members and normally resting on the lower one thereof but adapted to cook or tip into contact with the upper member when a ball on the table engages a part thereof whereby to close said circuit.

2. For a. ball rolling game having a substantially horizontal table, an obstacle positioned thereon including an upright portion of nonconductor material, spaced lower and upper stationary conductor rings embracing the portion and disposed in an electrical circuit, and a conductor disk having a greater diameter than the rings and positioned between said rings for movement to a position connecting the rings to close the circuit when a rolling ball on the table engages said conductor disk.

3. For a ball rolling game having a substantially horizontal table, an obstacle positioned thereon including an upright sleeve portion of non-conductor material, spaced lower and upper stationary conductor elements positioned in fixed relation to the sleeve portion and about the latter and disposed in. an electrical circuit,

and a conductor disk positioned between said conductor elements for movement to a position connecting the conductor elements to close the circuit when a rolling ball on the table engages said disk.

4. For a ball rolling game having a substantially horizontal table, an obstacle positioned thereon including an upright sleeve portion of non-conductor material, spaced lower and upper stationary conductor elements positioned in fixed relation about the sleeve portion and disposed in an electrical circuit, and a conductor disk of thin flexible material positioned between said conductor elements for movement to a position connecting the conductor elements to close the circuit when a rolling ball on the table engages said disk, said disk being positionable at such slight level above the table as to enable the ball to roll thereonto.

5. For a ball rolling game having a substantially horizontal table, an obstacle positioned thereon including an upright portion of nonconductor material, spaced lower and upper stationary conductor members positioned around the portion and disposed in an electrical circuit, and a loosely positioned conductor element disposed between said members and normally resting on the lower one thereof but adapted to cook or tip into contact with the upper member when a ball on the table engages a part thereof whereby to close said circuit, said element comprising a disk of thin, flexible metal.

6. For a ball rolling game having a substantially horizontal table providing a surface over which a ball is rollable, a ball operated circuit close the circuit.

DONALD E. HOOKER. 

